Cherry Blossom Watch Update: March 25, 2017

UPDATE: The NPS posted this afternoon that the cherry blossoms reached peak bloom today, March 25. Peak bloom is when 70 percent of the blossoms are fully blooming. This year, it's calculated on the blossoms that weren't knocked out by the cold.

They're looking great this morning, and they'll look even better as the weekend warms up and coaxes even more flowers out.

While it's definitely much busier than it has been so far this year, it's not nearly as crowded early this morning as it has been in past years. But there are still plenty of people out and about enjoying it. It'll get busier as the day goes on.

The NPS expects the blossoms to reach peak bloom sometime today or tomorrow, and they look to be on track for that.

As always, the trees aren't all on exactly the same schedule. The ones by the FDR Memorial are a bit further ahead; the ones to the east of the MLK Memorial are a little behind. And, of course, you can easily find tell-tale signs of the damage caused by the freezing temperatures, although they've bounced back remarkably well and are looking better than you might expect when you hear that 50 percent of them were wiped out. There are new photos from this morning below that show how they're looking so far today.

Weren't all the cherry blossoms killed in the snowstorm?

Despite the photos of cherry blossom popsicles, it wasn't so much the snowstorm as a couple of nights with freezing temperatures right around that time. Hard freezes wiped out the blossoms that were in the last stage before actually blooming. That was about 50 percent of the total.

But it turns out that that sounds worse than it looks, and they've bounced back remarkably well. There's no question that the cold caused damage, and it's very easy to find the after effects, especially up close.

But they look much better than you might expect when you hear that half of them were wiped out. The fresh blossoms are to some extent masking the damage, and even some of the damaged blossoms are flowering. So my guess is that you'll be pleasantly surprised at how good they look. The photos below were all taken this morning and give a good sense of where they're at now. They'll be looking even better over the next few days.

So even if it's probably not going to be a banner year for the cherry blossoms this year and they might not be bursting at the seams quite as much as usual, they're still putting on a beautiful show.

For First-Time Visitors

If you're visiting for the first time, you're in for a treat! The bloom is a stunning spectacle.

Finally, please don't pick the cherry blossoms or climb on the trees. Some of the old, gnarled ones (ie. the easiest to climb) are from the original planting over a century ago and are easily damaged. So as tempting as that selfie might be, please consider not climbing on the trees to get it.

For Photographers

This morning's sunrise was mostly masked by clouds. It looks like tomorrow's might be too. Sunrise tomorrow is at 7:01AM and sunset at 7:26PM. Because it's still close to the equinox, the sunrise and sunsets are lining up wonderfully with the monuments on the National Mall, which runs directly East-West. If the clouds would just clear out....

Today is NPS Staff Appreciation Day

Okay, so no, this isn't a real thing, but it's an idea I like to throw out there each year as a gentle suggestion: that as you come across the NPS rangers, staff, or volunteers as you wander under the cherry blossoms, let them know you appreciate their efforts.

They’re not just there to be tour guides and help with directions. It’s the NPS staff who, day in day out and year-round, empty the trash cans, keep the facilities clean and safe, clear the snow and leaves, and keep the monuments in great shape--and I know from witnessing it personally that they do it at all hours and even in the most miserable weather conditions. And, of course, it’s NPS staff that tend to the cherry trees and keep them in such tip-top condition that some of the trees are now over a century old--much, much older than the typical lifespan of these trees. The National Park Service itself is woefully underfunded, but the NPS staff still manage to do a wonderful job in caring for the monuments and Tidal Basin area. A simple "thank you" goes a long way.

So When Are They Going to Bloom?

The cherry blossoms are blooming now.

If you do miss the main ones (Yoshinos), there's another variety that blooms around 2 to 3 weeks later, the Kwanzan cherry blossoms. There are fewer of them, but they're very pretty.

How Long Do the Cherry Blossoms Hang Around?

How long the cherry blossoms stick around is about as predictable as everything else about them.

Sometimes they can be out for a week or even, in ideal conditions, two. Sometimes they can be mostly gone a few days after the peak bloom date.

It depends a lot on the weather. Cool, calm weather prolongs the bloom. Warm, windy, rainy weather encourages a quick exit. I've put together a photo timeline based on recent years that gives some idea of what to expect, when. It also shows how much variation there can be year to year.

This year, there are still a number of trees trailing well behind the others. They probably won't bloom until next week. That's going to work in favor of drawing out the bloom even more than we've already seen (the first flowers started coming out on the indicator treeover three weeks ago.)

This year there have been so many curveballs that it's even less predictable. That said, and because it's a natural question that so many people are asking, here are my current best guesses based on the expectation that they'll reach peak bloom around this coming weekend. Take these predictions with a grain of salt--I might well be wrong.

Which weekend? If you're trying to decide whether to go this weekend (March 25-26) or next (April 1-2), this weekend is going to be better for blossoms. It's also likely to be the most crowded.

Middle of next week. There should still be quite a few out in the middle of next week. There might still be many out. The current weather forecast suggests it should be warm with some rain, but nothing torrential. That warmth isn't great for prolonging things, but the relatively calm conditions help.

For what it's worth, about 2-3 days after peak bloom is my personal favorite time, so the beginning of next week should be beautiful. The flowers will start turning light pink and can look even better (in my humble opinion) than on the actual peak bloom day. You can see some examples here.

Weekend of April 1-2. The odds of there being much left by the weekend drop off quite a bit, but it still might be possible to see at least some blossoms. Aside from being roughly a week after peak bloom, current weather forecasts suggest that conditions might become more unsettled, with more rain and maybe even thunderstorms. Most of the blossoms will likely be well on their way out by then, but there's still a good chance of the late bloomers sticking around. It might not be many, but there's potentially a chance of seeing at least some blossoms.

Weekend of April 8-9. The main ones (Yoshinos) will be done, and it's pretty unlikely that they won't be all or nearly all leafing out by this point. But the timing could be excellent to see the Kwanzan cherry blossoms (and perhaps the tulips, another spring highlight around here). There are fewer of them, but blossom for blossom the Kwanzans are arguably even prettier than the Yoshinos. I have more information on them, including a map showing where to find some of the larger clusters, here.

The Story So Far

If you're just tuning in, here's a quick recap of where we're at.

It has been a topsy-turvy leadup to the bloom this year. A warmer than normal winter led into a very warm February. That brought the cherry blossoms to the verge of blooming around mid-March. It was even shaping up to be possibly the earliest on record.

Then an arctic blast hit (well, actually two, but the second, longer one was the most significant for the cherry blossoms--the saucer magnolias got wiped out in the first one). It slowed the development to a crawl. It also wiped out about half of the blossoms because it came right when many were at the stage just before blooming where they were at their most vulnerable. A snow and ice storm turned them into cherry blossom popsicles.

But we're through that now, temperatures are (mostly) moderating, and we're well on the way to a second attempt at the bloom over the next several days.

Cherry Blossom Watch on Instagram Feed

I've started a new Cherry Blossom Watch Instagram account: @cherryblossomwatch. I'll often be able to post short updates there more quickly than on the website, so if you want to get a jump on the very latest updates, be sure to check it out.

Logistics

Best Way to Get to the Cherry Blossoms?

The most famous of DC's cherry blossoms, and the ones you've seen on postcards and TV, are around the Tidal Basin. That's right next to the National Mall.

Maine Ave SW Parking Lot

Traffic Restrictions on Ohio Drive

The temporary traffic restrictions are now in place. Ohio Drive SW is now one-way, and the entrance to it from the Lincoln Memorial end is closed. To get to it you have to enter via Maine Ave SW and go around the Jefferson Memorial.

Photos from this Morning

Here's how they're looking early this morning. Warm temperatures today will bring out more flowers.

The ones on this tree are trailing a bit behind and will probably bloom next week sometime.

A close-up example of ones that were partially damaged but are determined to bloom anyway.

Latest Development Milestone

Supporting the National Mall

If you’d like to help support the National Mall area, one option is to contribute to the Trust for The National Mall, an official non-profit partner of the National Park Service. The Trust is dedicated to marshaling private support for maintaining and improving the history National Mall. You can find more information on their website. I’m not affiliated in any way with the Trust–just an admirer of their mission and work.

Licensing & Prints

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here: If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.